As Chinese tea beverage chains expand globally, Auntea Jenny (沪上阿姨) is preparing to enter the Australian market, intensifying competition in the Asian-style bubble tea segment across major metropolitan areas.
On December 18, 2025, Auntea Jenny announced via its official Rednote account that it has officially entered Sydney, with its first Australian store currently under renovation and in preparation for opening, marking a further step in the brand’s overseas expansion. The brand has also previously stated on its official Facebook account that customers at overseas locations are able to place orders via its online mini-program ordering system, underscoring its efforts to replicate China-style digital ordering experiences in international markets.
Auntea Jenny’ s Official Rednote
Founded in Shanghai in 2013, Auntea Jenny is the leading tea brand in northern China and ranks among the top three mid-priced freshly brewed tea chains nationwide. By 2025, it operated over 9,360 stores across 300+ cities and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Its growth has been driven by a highly franchise-led model. According to Chinese media report, As of end-2024, 99.7% of its 9,176 stores were franchised, enabling rapid scale but creating challenges around brand control and service consistency. However, Auntea Jenny's overseas expansion has been comparatively cautious, beginning with its first international store in Kuala Lumpur in February 2024, followed by limited expansion into Malaysia, Singapore, the United States, and South Korea.
By contrast, CHAGEE (霸王茶姬)—which listed on Nasdaq in April 2025 but has yet to enter Australia—has pursued a more aggressive global expansion strategy. As of September 2025, the brand operated 262 overseas stores, primarily across Southeast Asia, using direct ownership or joint-venture models rather than franchising. While this approach allows for greater control over quality and brand consistency, it can constrain the pace of expansion due to higher regulatory and capital requirements.
According to industry estimates, Australia’s bubble tea market is valued at approximately USD 17.5 million (around AUD 26 million) in 2025, and is expected to record continued growth toward 2035 as consumer demand remains strong.